Inspired in part by its 1800ES shooting brake of the 1970s, Volvo made its new hatch undeniably stylish, and not just by Volvo standards. Far from the dreaded Q-word (quirky), it is the apotheosis of the handsome new design line laid down at Volvo during the successful tenure of stylist Peter Horbury. Opening with the crisp S80 of 1998, modern Volvos reached their ultimate expression with the C30, the best-looking Volvo since the P1800 of 1961. Although the unusual shape of the rear lift glass limits the size of items that can be passed into the rear cargo area (large taillamps intrude as well), available room is considerable when the individual rear seatbacks are folded down.
Senior editor Joe Lorio discovered the C30's practicality when he was "heading out to pick up my new bike. My first thought was, `I'll grab a minivan or an SUV.' But then I thought: `Why not the C30?' Why not, indeed. With the front wheel removed, the bike slipped neatly into the rear compartment (seats folded down, of course). If gas prices stay high," Lorio went on, "a lot more people might start looking for the smallest car that can meet their needs, rather than just assuming they need something big and trucky. Compact hatchbacks could become the sporty new utility vehicles."
In 25,017 miles, the C30 never let us down. Check that: two times it locked us out automatically while its ignition key sat inside the car, necessitating calls to roadside service. The Volvo's 15,000-mile checkup, performed by Palisades Volvo in West Nyack, New York, cost a bracing $394.32 but revealed no fault with the automatic locking mechanism. Never again would the key be left in the car.
The C30 put no foot wrong with us, but at 12,982 miles, the bigger foot of a Nissan Quest did, putting a crease in the driver's-side door and rear quarter panel as the Nissan's driver carelessly changed lanes to avoid crossing the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan. The Volvo's insurer paid $1971 to fix it. Technical editor Don Sherman and others later complained of rattles once the formerly rock-solid car made it to Michigan, but that can't definitively be blamed on aftereffects of the collision.
One other thing. When I removed the Vredesteins before the C30's Michigan sojourn, I accidentally installed a set of wider 225/45VR-17 Pirelli tires from my wife's Audi A3, which got the Volvo's taller Michelins. The next six months went off without a hitch. But the Volvo's tires were now slightly wrong, which may help explain complaints about the rough ride. It also throws some of our performance figures into question. ...next page >>